Giving Stories

North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) today announced that longtime Marblehead resident Arthur J. Epstein has committed a gift of $5 million to NSMC in support of the Medical Center’s plan to build a new behavioral health center at its Salem campus. The gift is the single largest donation in the 144-year history of the hospital.

Kickin' Breast CancerNorth Reading resident Kelly Donahue had a fundraising goal for the North Shore Cancer WALK this past year of $5,000, which she far exceeded due to the generosity of family and friends, raising $10,000 for her team “Kickin’ it with Kelly.” And she’s already thinking about how she can exceed that in 2017, saying “It might be hard to beat that amount this year, but if I can beat cancer, it doesn’t seem so daunting!”

2016 North Shore Cancer WALK Co-ChairsAlain Chaoui, M.D., family medicine physician and former President of the NSMC Medical Staff, and Daniella Mammola are the co-chairs of the 2016 North Shore Cancer WALK. As with all our WALK co-chairs, they share with us their personal stories about cancer and why they agreed to chair the North Shore Cancer WALK this year.

The Axelrod Legacy of GivingBefore she left her indelible mark on NSMC Salem Hospital and the Mass General Center for Outpatient Care in Danvers, Henrietta (Penny) Axelrod danced with Martha Graham, tested airplanes, directed plays and entertained Army troops in Europe. "The hospital was part of the fabric of our family's everyday life," recalls Penny's daughter, Dee Axelrod.

Celebration of Life, Courage and Community: North Shore Cancer Walk Celebrates 25th Anniversary Jessica Williamson of Danvers participated in her first Cancer WALK in 2005 to raise awareness about young people with cancer. Williamson was19 years old when she was diagnosed in 2003 with synovial carcinoma in her right knee. Her year of treatment—surgery, chemotherapy and radiation at the North Shore Cancer Center (now the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers) and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was a stressful time made more challenging by the fact that Williamson often was the only teenager in a room full of adult patients and caregivers.

Having Fun While Making a DifferenceDon't be fooled by the laughter and good cheer that abound when the Merry Mixers host a fundraising event. This charity organization takes its mission to raise money for pediatric programs at North Shore Medical Center very seriously. What started with a donation of $50 in 1950 when the group was founded has grown to more than $900,000 in donations in the past 20 years alone.

A New Perspective on Cancer CareIn her 30 years as an oncologist, Karen Krag, M.D., has always empathized with her patients—to help them cope with their diagnoses, make decisions about their treatment and manage the effects of cancer on their physical and emotional health. She never imagined that one day she would find herself in their position.